Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 11, 1993 TAG: 9302110330
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-18 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB McLELLAND CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
EVERYONE'S DOING IT: WRESTLING TOURNAMENTS ABOUND
All 12 Roanoke Metro wrestling teams are involved in either regional or district tournaments this weekend.James River and Glenvar, Group A teams, will be competing in the Region C tournament Saturday 11 a.m. at James River. Northside, William Byrd, Salem, Lord Botetourt and Staunton River, all Group AA teams, will be at Bassett Friday and Saturday in the Region 3 tournament.
Franklin County, William Fleming, Cave Spring and Patrick Henry, the Group AAA teams, will be at Franklin County on Saturday for the Roanoke Valley District tournament at noon.
North Cross, the other Metro team, will be at Lynchburg Christian Saturday at 11 a.m. for the Virginia Independent Conference showdown.
James River, winner of last week's Pioneer District tourney, will have 12 entries headed by four district champions - undefeated senior Tony Bocanegra (103), senior John Miller (135), junior John Blankenship (145) and senior Jimmy Adams (152) - in the regionals.
Defending regional champion Glenvar will have eight entries, including two-time state champion senior Brandon Semones (189), junior Aaron Muncy (112) and defending regional champion senior Jason Porter (160).
Northside continued its domination of the Blue Ridge by placing all 13 of its entries in the district finals last week. The Vikings came home with five champions - junior Mark Mast (112), sophomore Clifton Dunford (119), senior Jacob Mayes (135), senior Bryan Van Ravenstein (160) and senior Robin Keeling (140).
Byrd will have 11 regional entries, including three district champions - sophomore Patrick Henderson (125), junior Jason Hagan (145) and senior heavyweight Kyle Hamman. Salem will have 11 entries but only one district winner - junior Michael Hatcher (171).
Botetourt will have two district champions - undefeated senior Dan Sell (130) and senior Tim Gordon (103) - included in its six entries.
Franklin County is favored in the RVD but should have strong opposition from William Fleming. The Eagles gained the state Group AAA duals last week by finishing second in the Northwest Regional Duals to Stonewall Jackson.
Fleming junior Edward Jones (171) will be the only undefeated entry in the RVD. Fleming senior Keno Shepherd (112) suffered his first loss in three years of individual competition last week. Shepherd had wrestled at 103 but he decided to move up to 112 late this season.
Undefeated senior Aaron Lange (189) will pace the North Cross entries at LCS. The top three winners in each weight class will advance to the state tournament at Richmond's Collegiate School Feb. 26-27.